“Thanks!” she smiled putting away the cotton piece and placing a new, clean patch. “Your hand” she said stepping in front of him after she gathered up the cloth bandage roller.

“N…N…Ne? What?...” he babbled blinking really fast three or four times, trying to understand how did she figured out what was he hiding with his hands.  

“Please…? I’m done here and now I just have to put the bandage on you so the patch won’t come undone…” she told him.

Seunghyun was just staring at her without any visible reaction.

“I need you to hold your arm like this” she explained slowly grabbing his forearm and pulling it a little further from his body. “I have to pull this underneath and over your shoulder…” she felt necessary to explain a little more since he wasn’t really looking like he understood her.

“Ohh… oh, that… sure…” he finally reacted doing what he was asked.

She smiled and placed one end of the cloth on his shoulder, and before she pulled it beneath his arm, she threw one last hidden glimpse at his other hand which it didn’t move from in front of his pants.

“So what about you?” she said after she took her place behind him.

“Na… Me?”

“Would you be an ajumma?” she asked happy that he couldn’t see her face right now – she was still ashamed of her Korean pronunciation.

“Ajumma?…  Ah, ajushi!” he answered. “Yeah, I am for those way younger than me…”

“Ok! We’re done!” she interrupted him. “Oh, come on, was it that bad?” she burst out laughing when he took a deep sigh and she faced him again.

He quickly shook his head.

“Hand please!” she said again almost smiling and he hurried to comply.

He stretch out his hand as much as the pain allowed him to and she carefully passed the black shirt’s sleeve over his arm and shoulder, then his healthy arm almost got dressed on its own.

“What’s your name?” he asked all of a sudden when she stopped in front of him, ready to button him up.

A soft smile brighten up his face since it was his turn to startle her.

“Liana” she answered in one word, looking for his eyes… mostly to persuade her own to stop staring at his collarbone.

“Lee-Ahn-ah?” he spelt smiling. “This isn’t your real name, is it?” he answered her gaze almost winning it over.

“It is. This is really my name” she answered and because she couldn’t accept his victory, she grabbed the bottom tip of the shirt and shove it inside his pants.

Seunghyun took a step back finding it impossible to bear with this too. He smiled once again understanding his defeat. He finished tucking the shirt inside his pants and looked at her. Her amused face turned into a serious, motherly-like one.

“Kamsahamnida!” he said taking a short bow before the pain came back and he had to disguise it in a ruffling hair gesture. “Nomu kamsahmnida! Thank you! You really saved me from an useless pain…”

He was about to begin the speech he conceived a little earlier but a happy ringtone cut him off.  He looked for his white shirt because it was the phone inside it that was ringing.  The girl, Liana, understood that too, and in a flash she rushed to grab it so she could bring it to its rightful owner. Actually they shared the same idea, since Seunghyun also hurried towards it. They both reached the shirt in the same time, but Liana withdrew one step and simply gestured him to answer.

“Yeah!” Seunghyun answered a little hectic.

“Hyung!” he could hear Daesung’s voice. “Where are you? Should I leave or…”

Seunghyun was about to tell his friend he was free to go, but Liana was, once again, one step ahead of him: she smiled and opened the door inviting him outside.    

“I’ll be right there…” Seunghyun covered his disappointment with a shy smile.

***

Two minutes later, Seunghyun slammed the car's door behind him and fasten his seat-belt, freezing his eyes on the windshield.

“Hyung…” Daesung started a little shy “are you angry with me?” he said  swirling the key in.

“Ani” Seunghyun answered without looking at him.

“So convincing you are…” Dae mumbled pouting.

He pushed the small foot lever and the car started moving.

“Who was that?” Daesung tried making eye contact with his senior.

“Who was what?” Seunghyun answered.

“The girl. Who was she?”

“Oh…” a bright smile left Seunghyun’s lips.

“Ommo! Hyung!!” Daesung started smiling as well.

“What? What? What? I just smiled!” Seunghyun barely could abstain his laughter. “She’s none of your business!”   

“Ommo! Ommo! She’s the fat lady??” Daesung shouted.

“Aish! You big mouth!” Seunghyun crossed his arms and pouted, turning his back at his friend.

“How old is she? What’s her name? What were you two doing alone in there? Where have you been?...” the questions kept flooding.

***

The clear douche touched the white sink in a flash, filling the surroundings only with its sound. The white shirt got wet as soon as it reached the water and started coloring it in a kind of muddy shade of pink.

Seunghyun’s broad shoulders and his perfect long neck made her green eyes to shut in fear and shake  her head. A witty smile flourished on her face, but she had to chase it away too. She  angrily poured some liquid soap on top of the ice-cream stains and rubbed it energetically.

***

Every time he ed the black shirt’s buttons, Liana’s red hair popped in his mind and her fresh perfume took over. He smiled when the bandage appeared in the mirror. He wanted to hang on it a little more, slowly checking and touching it but the image of her hands shoving the shirt inside his pant instantly brought red blush all over his face. He shook his head.

“Aish, Hyunnie! No time for this now!” he left the mirror throwing the black shirt inside the dirty laundry basket.    

***

A new dawn and a new tender ray landed on the almond eyes that burst out open. Dashing, as he never even slept, he took out the black shirt from the basket.

Two knocks were herd and Daesung soft voice to go with them:

“Hyung, may I come in?” he asked opening the door without a noise.

He stepped in but he failed to see anyone inside.

“Hyung, are you here?” he asked again checking the also empty bathroom. “Where did he go?” he thought out loud. “Don’t tell me…” he suddenly smiled. He looked for the car keys inside his pockets and whipped outside.

***

Seunghyun  took a deep breath and held the air inside his lungs for about 5 seconds then exhaled it loudly. He lowered his eyes to check on his posture, he pulled down the edges of his dark-blue spencer and raised his hand up to knock on the grey, simple door, but by the looks of it, it did so on its own.

“Come on in!” the reedy voice inside answered.

He would’ve done so, but only if he could persuade his limbs to move.

“I said come in!” the door suddenly opened.

Liana froze in the doorstep.

“Anyoung…” she smiled softly and took a short bow. “It’s everything ok?...” she asked after she waited for his answer for more than 10 seconds.

‘You made it up to here so you might as well say something!’ Seunghyun’s mind chew him up but his lips were only able to hum just an “Umm…”

“Come in!” she grabbed his arm to invite him inside. “It’s everything alright?” she inspected his shoulder through his coat.

“Uhm…” he managed to nod. “I just …” what were the English words he exercised on last night?

‘Why the Hell you’re trying to act western when you’re nothing but a eastern wuss’ his mind scoffed him again.

“… Coffee?” she smiled assuming he won’t be saying anything coherent soon.

“No… thank you…” he finally answered in his cute English that made Liana smile.

He really did rehearsed last night! He knew exactly what he had to say, how to thank her again and commend her good work but he had no idea he’ll be finding her like this. He pictured her dressed business like the other day, with her glasses and her hair on point. She was not even close to that image; her hair was all gathered up in one reckless ponytail and she had on a really loose white t-shirt, so loose that they could both fit in and still have plenty of room left; even her leggings looked a little too long being crumpled covering her ankles and the black high heel bootees were replaced by a pair of big, fluffy cat-slippers that made him choke on a sudden giggle.

“Yah! Don’t laugh!” she pretended to pout waving her foot. “These are precious gift from my kids!”

Seunghyun’s hand seemed to get a will of its own and grabbed the back of her head pulling her towards him.  He blinked twice to chase away the unnatural thin fog and pushed his lips onto hers.